Rev. Dr. Leonard Sweet is an author, preacher, scholar, and ordained United Methodist clergyman currently serving as the E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism at Drew Theological School, in Madison, New Jersey; and a Visiting Distinguished Professor at George Fox University in Portland, Oregon.  He is regularly voted one of the most influential Christian leaders in America.

He is the author of more than forty books, hundreds of articles (many of a scholarly and technical nature), and over 50 prefaces/forewords to others' books. He has over 1000 published sermons, and currently is the chief weekly contributor to the lectionary-based sermons.com. Sweet has weekly podcasting on iTunes entitled Napkin Scribbles.

Rev. Lawrence Peers is a consultant with the Alban Institute and works with congregations in the areas of growth, whole-systems planning and conflict transformation. He is currently also an adjunct professor in the Arts of Ministry at Hartford Seminary and serves as a consultant to a "Sustaining Pastoral Excellence" project for United Church of Christ Clergy, funded by the Lilly Endowment.

For ten years, he was the Director of Congregational Growth and Research at the UUA. In addition to his academic training, he has specialized training in spiritual psychology, narrative therapy and ontological coaching, which are incorporated into his national and judicatory seminars and his coaching with clergy

Nancy Wood engages in ministry as the founding pastor of Rock Dove, an emerging church combining music, song, dance, history, storytelling and scripture, and as the Chaplain of Cheshire Medical Center, both in Keene, NH. Nancy has co-authored, with Heather Kirk-Davidoff, two books, Dare to Dive In: Strategies and Resources for Involving Your Whole Church in Worship (Abingdon Press, 2006) and Talking Faith: An Eight-Part Study on Growing and Sharing Your Faith (Chalice Press, 2004), as well as several articles and numerous worship resources. She has led retreats and workshops in both local and national settings. She is a graduate of Smith College and Harvard Divinity School, and was ordained in the United Church of Christ.

Peter Short was ordained by the Maritime Conference of the United Church of Canada after religious training at Emmanuel College in Toronto, Ont. He served on the Gaspé Coast for six years, in Yellowknife, N.W.T., for seven years and in Montreal, Que., for nine years. Concentrating his experience in congregations that are in the linguistic or cultural minority has given Rev. Short prolonged exposure to perspectives other than his own. He has worked with First Nations people in the North and served as chaplain at the Canadian Forces Northern Area Headquarters (now Joint Task Force North) in Yellowknife.

Rev. Short was the 38th Moderator of the United Church of Canada from 2003 until 2006. Prior to being elected as Moderator, he ministered at Wilmot United Church in Fredericton, N.B., where he has returned as part of the ministry team. 

Michael was born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario. He attended the University of Toronto receiving an Honours B.A. in Economics and a Master of Divinity degree from Emmanuel College. Following his ordination in the United Church of Canada in 1977, he served a multi-point pastoral charge in Saskatchewan before receiving a call to become the Associate Pastor at Central United Church, Calgary, in 1980. In 1985, he became the Lead Pastor.

After almost a decade of confusion regarding the future direction and mission of Central, God ignited a vision in his heart to lead Central in a new and bold direction. Under his leadership the congregation has experienced incredible transformation. It has moved from a dying, ‘maintenance’ church into a vibrant and rapidly expanding ‘missional’ church, providing innovative and relevant outreach to the marginalized people of the downtown core.